Receiving-terminal for pneumatic-despatch systems.



No. 638,409. Patented nec. 5, |899.

c. F. onmus.

RECEIVING TERMINAL FDR PNEUMATIC DESPATCH SYSTEMS.

(Application med may 1s. 1899.)

(No Model.)

un :Enum

limiten CHARLES F. BODINUS,

OF AUSTIN, ILLINOIS.

RECEIVING-TERMINAL FOR PNEUMATICHDESPATCH SYSTEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,409, dated December5, 1899. Application filed May 18,1899. Serial No. 717,247. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t 7mm concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. BoDINUs, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Austin, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Receiving Terminals forPneumatic-Despatch Systems, of which the following is a specificationand which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a partthereof.

This invention relates to what are technicallyknown as upward-dischargeterminals, wherein the carrier or cartridge is impelled upward through atube and in being discharged therefrom has its direction changed, sothat it is thrown downwardly into the receptacle provided for receivingit.

The object of the invention is to provide for the more certain and easyaction of the terminal, overcoming the difficulties present in terminalsof the same type now in use, as will be hereinafter more definitelyexplained.

The invention consists in so locating the discharge end ofthedelivery-tube with reference to its connection with the suctiontube thatwhile the carrier is cushioned as it reaches the valve at the end of thetube the suction upon it is lateral and does not tend to prevent itsdischarge from the tube.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a central vertical section ofmy improved terminal. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same; and Fig.3 is a transverse section of the complete terminal, taken on the line 33 of Fig. l.

Broadly considered, the device for which protection is sought consistsof a terminal having a passage which is divided into two branches, oneof which constitutes a portion of the return or suction tube and theother of which is provided with a delivery-orice. The orifice of thedelivery branch is normally closed bya spring-controlled flap-valve. Thelength of the delivery branch is such that the distance between thevalve and the more remote wall juncture of the two branches is less thanthe length of the carrier intended to be used in the system, while thedistance between the valve and the nearer wall j uncture of the twobranches is sufficient to pro# vide an air-cushion for such carrierafter it has passed the throat of the return branch,

the diameter of this passage of course being such that the carrier willsubstantially fill it. I show what is commonly known as an updeliveryterminal,7 in which the main pasa sage leads upwardly and is overturnedthrough a regular arc until it is directed downwardly, and the fork inthis passage occurs in its downwardly-directed portion. While I show thefork to consist in leading one of the branches straight on from the mainportion or stem of the passage and the other as being led laterally atsubstantially a right angle,

such conguration is not essential nor does it form a part of theinvention. Essentially the device comprises a branch pipe, and forconvenience of manufacture I prefer to make the entire terminal, withthe exception of the valve, of cast metal and in two parts, the divisionbeing longitudinal and central as to the tube and the two sections beingsecured together by means of screws or rivets.

i More specifically described, the device consists of a'tube A, adaptedfor attachment at one of its ends a to the delivery-tube of apneumatic-despatch system, being curved regularly through orapproximately through one hundred and eighty degrees and having itsother end A open. A branch B of this tube opens laterally therefromnear, but a short distance removed from, the end A', and preferably thisopeniu g is directed toward the center of the circle of which the mainmember of the tube A is an arc. The branch B is curved downwardly and isadapted for attachment to the return or suction member of thepneumatic-despatch system.

The tube A and its branch B are preferably of cast metal and made of twosections, division beinglongitudin al and central. Each section of thiscastingis provided with a number of apertured lugs E, by means of whichthe two sections may be secured together by screws or rivets.

The delivery branch A of the passage A is shown as leading in the sainegeneral direction as the main portion of the passage, but as being ofsomewhat reduced diameter and having an open end, andis equipped with avalve, preferablya simple Hap-valve C, being a disk. of leatherattached, by means of screws, as shown, to an arm F, which is pivotedbetween a pair of lugs j', formed upon IOO vss

the tube. A spring Gr, coiled upon the hingepin g, upon which the valveswings, is adapted to hold the valve closed. \Vhile I prefer the mannerand form of mounting for the valve shown in the drawings, I do notdesire to be limited thereto, as any valve provided with means fornormally closing the same and which is openable by the impact of thecarrier from within may be employed.

I am aware that terminals have been employed which are, generallyspeaking, simil-ail in form to the one which is the subject of thisapplication; but so far as l am aware none have been made which operatein an entirely satisfactory manner. Either the dischargeopening isinsuch direct communication with the suction branch that draft is entirelysuspended in the delivery branch when the valve is opened or the suctionbranch is so connected with the delivery branch that there is a strongback pull upon the carrier after it passes this connection, and as aconsequence the discharge of the carrier is prevented. When the formerdifficulty is present, it results in the dropping of a succeedingcarrier, should there be one in the tube when the valve is opened.

When the suction branch is so located as to produce the back pull uponthe carrier, there is united a closed pocket at the end of thedelivery-tube A of such extent that the advance of the carrieris sograduallychecked by the compression of the air that there is not a suflicient impact upon the valve to open it, or, if opened by thecompression of the air, it closes again before the carrier reachesit,and the momentum of the latter has by that time been so far spentthat it is not sufficient to again open the valve, held, as it is, notonly by spring or counterweight, but also by the suction within thetube. These several difliculties I have completely overcome in theterminal forming the subject of this application by so locating thedischarge-aperture with reference to the connection of the branch B withthe tube A that only a sufficient cushioning effect is secured as thecarrierXpasses the mouth of the.branch B to prevent a tooviolent impactupon the valve, the momentum of the carrier, however, not being reducedsufficiently' to prevent it from forcing its way out. Furthermore, themouth of the branch B is located sufficiently near the valve so that thecarrier overlaps it as its forward end reaches the discharge-orifice.Can riers as invariably made have enlarged ends, the diameter of whichis substantially that of the passage through which they are to bedriven. As the forward end of such a carrier passes the throat of thesuction branch B of the passage there-is of course a partial vacuumbefore it in the delivery branch A due to the fact that the system isoperated by suction, and as a result there will for an instant be aforward impulse given to the carrier and for the same instant theclosing pressure upon the valve will continue. The advance of thecarrier by reducing the dimensions of the chamber in front of it quicklyraises the pressure therein to and above that of the atmosphere. Theair-cushion thus formed absorbs in part the momentum of the carrier andred uces the force of its impact against the valve, thereby greatlylessening the injury to the carrier resulting from such impact. On theother hand, as communication between the two branches A and B is cut offby this advance end of the carrier the closing pressure upon the valvedue to the continuing suction in the branch B is of course stopped.While the carrier overlaps the throat of the branch passage B, it is ineffect a balanced valve therefor, and hence the suction therein iswithout effect either to retard or advance it. As the carrier thusoverlaps the throat of the branch passage B at the time of its impactupon the valve, it follows from the foregoing that the only resistanceto the advance of the carrier is found in the tension of the spring, andthis the reduced momentum of the carrier is able to overcome. As theforward end ofthe carrier emerges from the discharge-orifice itsrearward end uncovers the branch passage B to the main passage A, andthe inrush of air from the latter due to the renewal of draft upon ittends to impart to the carrier a forward impulse. When the rearward endof the carrier has passed beyond the throat of the branch passage I3, aretarding pressure is applied to it, which, while not sufficient to holdit in the delivery branch, tends to still further check its momentum,and hence to ease its fall into the receptacle. During this act ofdelivery there has practically been no interruption of the suctionapplied to the main passage. The only period of interruption of thedirect communication between the suction branch Band the main passage Ais while the throat of the former is covered by the carrier. During thistime, however, the carrier constitutes a rapidly-moving piston, whichprevents any reduction in the speed of movement of the contents of thepassage behind it. As soon as the rearward end of the carrier uncoversthe throat of the passage B to the passage A the direct suction throughthe latter is again resumed.

A still further and decided advantage pres ent in the constructiondescribed is found in thc fact that bythe opening of the valve no directcommunication between the outside atmosphere and the interior of thesuction branch B is opened, except to the extent of the slightdifference between the external diameter of the carrier and the internaldiameterof the branch passage A. 4As these two diameters are made asnearly alike as practicable and as the branch passage A is ofconsiderable length, the suction in the branch passage B is not even foran instant satisfied by the opening of the valve, and hence as soon asthe rearward end 'of the carrier un- IOO IIO

covers the branch passage B to the passage A the suction Within theformer is at once applied with full force to the latter.

Though I have shown and described an np- Ward-discharge terminal, and myinvention relates more particularly to this type of device, it isnevertheless applicable to any form of terminal in Which the delivery isfrom a branch having a valve opened by the impact of the carrier anddischarging in a direction transverse to the return-tube, so that an aircushion or buffer may be provided in the delivery branch, in which thebody yof the carrier lies, across the induction end of the return-tube.

I claim as my invention" l. A delivery-terminal for pneumatic-de spatchsystems having a branching passage, one branch thereof being anair-return passage and the other branch a carrier-discharge passagehaving an open end, and an outwardly-opening spring-closed iiap-valvefor such open end; the diameterof the discharge-` passage beingsubstantially that of the carrier intended for use in the system, andits length being such that it forms an air-cushion for the carrier, andthe carrier, when it strikes the valve, will overlap, approximatelyentirely, the throat of the air-return passage.

2. An upward delivery-terminal for pneumatic-despatch systems having apassage curved to direct its end downwardly, and being divided into anair-return branch leading laterally from the main portion of thepassage, and a carrier-delivery branch being continued in the samegeneral direction as the said main passage and having an open end, avalve for such open end and being openable by the impact of a carrier;the length of the delivery branch being sufficient to form anair-cushion to check the mo* mentuin 0f the carrier, and the distancefrom the open end of the delivery branch to the more remote side of theair-return passage being not greater than the length of the carrierintended to be used in the system.

3. In a pneumatic-despatch terminal, atube having a carrier-dischargebranch, the direction of discharge being transverse to the airreturnportion of the tube, a valve for the discharge branch openable by impactof a carrier, the discharge branch being the only means of communicationWith the interior of the tube opened by the discharge of the carrier,and being prolonged beyond the air-re turn portion of the pipe to forman air-cushion, but the distance from the outer end of the dischargebranch to the more remote side of the air-return portion of the tubebeing not greater than the length of the carrier intended to be used inthe system.

CHARLES F. BODINUS.

Witnesses:

PAUL vSYNNnsTVnD'r9 PAUL CARPENTER.

